Revelation 10-17

Revelation 10

Appears to be a time-out! John takes a break from the 7th seal and continues in chapter 11.

Revelation 10:1, 8

“A little book open” (D&C 77:14)

Bruce R. McConkie said this was in harmony with the custom and tradition of ancient Israel.

It signified he was eating the bread of life.

Revelation 10:6

“That there should be time no longer”

D&C 88:110 No more delay!

Revelation 11

Now back to the 7th seal (Armageddon)

A period of universal apostasy

Revelation 11:2

Three and a half years, not a perfect time!

Revelation 11:3

Two witnesses 2 Nephi 8:19-20D&C 77:15

“Two olive trees” and “two candlesticks”

Symbols of the two witnesses; meaning, perhaps, that as olive trees, they shall provide oil for the lamps of those who go forth to meet the Bridegroom; and that as a lamp stands they shall reflect to men the light which comes from Him who is the Light of the World. No doubt they will be members of the council of the 12 or of the 1st presidency (DNTC, 3:509).

“Suffice it to say, the Jews gather home, and rebuild Jerusalem. The nations gather against them in battle. Their armies encompass the city, and have more or less power over it for three and a half years. A couple of Jewish prophets, by their mighty miracles, keep them from utterly over-coming the Jews; until at length they are slain, and the city is left in a great measure to the mercy of their enemies for three days and a half. The two prophets then rise from the dead and ascend up into heaven….

“The Messiah comes, convulses the earth, overthrows the army of the Gentiles, delivers the Jews, cleanses Jerusalem, cuts off all wickedness from the earth, raises the Saints from the dead, brings them with him, and commences his reign of a thousand years; during which time his Spirit will be poured out upon flesh; men and beasts, birds and serpents, will be perfectly harmless, and peace and the knowledge and glory of God shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea; and the kingdom and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the saints of the Most High” (Parley P. Pratt, A Voice of Warning and Instruction to all People, 49-50).

Revelation 12:1

Woman = Jesus Christ Church

Moon = All other churches

Twelve Stars = 12 apostles

Revelation 12:12

Child = Political kingdom of God

“This government which embraces all the peoples of the earth, both in and out of the Church, is also sometimes spoken of as the kingdom of God, because the people are subject to the kingdom of God which Christ will set up; but they have their agency and thousands will not be members of the Church until they are converted: yet at the same time they will be subject to the theocratic rule” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:229).

Revelation 12:3

Red dragon = Satan

Revelation 12:4

Third part of the stars in heaven = 1/3 of pre-mortal existence

Revelation 12:5

Rod of iron = word of God

Revelation 12:6

The woman fled into the wilderness =

the great apostasy

Revelation 12:12

“Short time” Satan’s time is limited!

Revelation 12:13, 17

Satan targets the faithful! (D&C 76:29)

“On November 1, 1857, Elder George Albert Smith delivered a memorable discourse, which included this old Chinese fable:

“A man traveling through the country came to a large city, very rich and splendid; he looked at it and said to his guide, ‘This must be a very righteous people, for I can only see but one little devil in this great city. The guide replied, ‘You do not understand, sir. This city is so perfectly given up to wickedness that it requires but one devil to keep them all in subjection.

Traveling on a little farther, he came to a rugged path and saw an old man trying to get up the hill side, surrounded by seven great, big, coarse-looking devils. ‘Why,’ says the traveler, ‘this must be a tremendously wicked old man! See how many devils there are around him!’ ‘This,’ replied the guide, ‘is the only righteous man in the country; and there are seven of the biggest devils trying to turn him out of his path, and they all cannot do it.’

After relating the fable, Elder Smith added that ‘the devil has the world so perfectly at his disposal that it requires few devils to keep it in subjection and that the whole legion of devils has nothing to do but look after the Mormons and stir up the hearts of the children of men to destroy them --- to put them out of existence’” (JD, 5:364).

Revelation 13:1

“Beast” = various kingdoms, civic, or ecclesiastical or both.

Revelation 13:2

In Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Joseph said that the word dragon should be “devil” (Teachings, 293).

Revelation 13:16-18

“for it is the number of a man; and his number is 666.”

It has not been revealed!

Consider that it is not a person, but pride and $ verses testimony! (1 Kings 10:14).

We’re fighting an “un-holy trinity.”

“Nephi verses the spacious building”

Revelation 14:6

Joseph Smith and various angels!

Revelation 15

Good wins! God wins!

Revelation 16

“The last 7 plagues!”

God wins, it’s true, but you won’t unless you repent!

“God in his mercy shall pour our destructive plagues upon the wicked and ungodly in the last days. These diseases and calamities shall sweep great hosts of men from the face of the earth, preparatory to that final Millennial cleansing which shall prepare our planet as an abode for the righteous” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:359).

Lying about sixty miles north of Jerusalem is the site of Megiddo, a great mound of hill commanding the northern entrance to the broad plain called the valley of Esdraelon. The mountain or hill or Megiddo (Armageddon in Greek) is guarded by the strategic pass that cuts through the mountain range separating the coastal plains from the inland plains and hill country of Galilee…

“…Jerusalem will be under siege and great suffering will be the lot of her inhabitants. Evidently, Armageddon, which is north of Jerusalem, will be the site of the great decisive battle of this war. “During the siege, when the nations are gathered and the Lord comes, there will be great destruction. The armies will become so confused they will fight among themselves. There will be a great slaughter. Then the Lord comes to the Jews. He shows Himself. He calls upon them to come and examine His hands and His feet, and they say, ‘What are these wounds?’ And He answers them, ‘These are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am Jesus Christ.’

“Then they will accept Him as their Redeemer, which they have never been willing to do” (Smith, Signs of the Times, 171).

Revelation 16:21 75.6 lbs. Wow!

Revelation 17

“The Church of the Devil”

“The titles church of the devil and great and abominable church are used to identify all churches or organizations of whatever name or nature, whether political, philosophical, educational, social, fraternal, civic, or religious, which are designed to take men on a course that leads away from God and his laws and thus from salvation in the kingdom of God” (McConkie, M.D.,137-38).

“Our world is now much the same as it was in the days of the Nephite prophet who said: ‘…if it were not for the prayers of the righteous…ye would even now be visited with utter destruction’ (Alma 10:22).

Of course, there are many upright and faithful who live all the commandments and whose lives and prayers keep the world from destruction.

“We are living in the last days, and they are precarious and frightening. The shadows are deepening, and the night creeps in to envelop us” (Spencer W. Kimball, C.R. Apr. 1971, 7).